Berlinale ticket fever

It is a Monday morning in February. There is an extremely cold chill in the air, but that does not stop Berlinale fanatics from leaving the warmth of their houses to queue up for the advance ticket sales. For the first time I have decided to join the queue. I have strategically picked the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden because I know that at least I will be in a warm place, unlike Kino International where the queue is outdoors. I arrive at 9:00, one hour before the box office opens. For the lucky ones with a Mastercard (official partner of the Berlinale) there is a special ticket counter with a short queue. However, I have no choice but to join the long queue. The people at the front are well equipped with sleeping bags, foldable chairs, blankets, hot drinks. One lady has a supermarket trolley full of luggage. Some have spent the night here. Others arrived in the early hours of the morning. By 10:30 the first film in the Competition category has sold out and the queue has barely moved. One of the old hands patiently explains the sales process to the non-adepts: "On the first day it takes twice as long  - his guess at 9:45 is that we will queue up for two hours - which unfortunately proves to be an underestimate - because people buy tickets for themselves, for their friends and because of the large number of tickets on sale, for example at the Friedrichstadtpalast. The advantage of buying tickets for the Friedrichstadtpalast is that you can watch films in the Competition and Berlinale Special categories and the atmosphere is good, but the downside is that the seats are uncomfortable". This is where my tip from the last post comes in handy: pick two films in a row to increase your chances of getting a good seat, at least for the second viewing. 

As it gets closer to 11:00 and we are still far away from the front of the queue, people start to get a little impatient. Nevertheless, everyone is still in a fairly jolly mood and hopeful of getting the tickets they want. I am a little disappointed, however, when I find out that one of the films I wanted (Theater of Life - part of Culinary Cinema goes Kiez) is sold out. As I finally get closer to the ticket desk and the writing on the screen becomes more legible, there is a moment of confusion among the non-adepts: "Why are there tickets on sale for next Monday?" - a woman cries out - "I thought you could only buy tickets three days in advance!" There is a collective sigh as we all think: "You have had three hours to study the programme and you still have not understood the ticket policy".  By the time it is my turn to buy the tickets I am exhausted after over three hours of standing. The man next to me is leafing through the programme, trying to make up his mind at the very last minute. I cannot think straight so I end up buying two tickets for every session, which is not what I had set out to do. But at least I bought tickets for all the right events. Some people are planning to queue up again tomorrow, but I have decided to give the online ticket system another go.

How to survive and enjoy the Berlinale

February in Berlin is by far the bleakest month of the year. It's grey, it's cold and it feels as if the winter will never end. Fortunately February is also the month of the Berlinale, the Berlin Film Festival, a major international event that brings excitement and glamour to the city of Berlin. 
Now in its 67th edition, the Berlinale is an indie film lovers' paradise, with hundreds of films from all over the world in original language (with English subtitles), projected on large screens in warm and comfortable cinemas and theatres across Berlin. The choice is huge: from obscure and odd films to indie masterpieces.
However, it can also feel rather daunting and stressful, due to the large crowds, long queues and variety of films to choose from. So if you're not a member of the press or a film professional and you want to make the most of your Berlinale experience, you too need to be prepared.

Understanding the Berlinale
First of all get yourself a programme, possibly both online from the Berlinale website and on paper. You can find the printed programmes at cinemas and theatres participating in the Berlinale and at the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden.
The programme has over 10 different sections.
The main section is the Competition. This is where you find the big names of cinema. Only the films that are part of the Competition are eligible for the big prizes: Golden Bear, Silver Bear, etc.
Just to make it more confusing, there are certain films (like T2 Trainspotting) that are shown in the competition section, but don't actually compete for the prizes.
The other sections of the Berlinale programme include 
Panorama: wide-range of art house films by renowned directors, but also debut films and new discoveries.
Forum: eclectic collection of experimental, avant-garde movies by young film-makers.  
Berlinale shorts: the name says it all.
Generation: films about young people.
Perspektive Deutsches Kino: films from promising German filmmakers.
Berlinale Special: new films by great directors and actors. Some big names here as well, but no prizes.


How do I buy tickets?
Advance sales start at 10:00 am on the Monday before the start of the Berlinale. Make a note in your diary!
Ticket sales for all screenings in Friedrichstadt-Palast, HAU, Volksbühne, Berlinale Goes Kiez and the last Sunday of the Berlinale start on the Monday.
Tickets can be purchased three days in advance. 
Tickets for repeat screenings of Competition films can be purchased four days in advance. 

If you are stuck at a desk all day, your best bet is to buy the tickets online. Make sure you have both a Berlinale and an Eventim account beforehand. Log on to the website of the Berlinale and be glued to the screen from 9:55 am. Keep your finger on the mouse and as soon as the sale starts click like a maniac! The tickets will sell out in seconds.
The other option is to brave the queues at the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden and at a few other locations.

Where can I see the celebrities?
One option is to stand by the red carpet of the Berlinale Palast. This is where the Competition films have their premieres. The opening and awards ceremonies also take place in the Berlinale Palast so the red carpet is pretty impressive!
Another option is to attend the Berlinale Special Gala at the Friedrichstadt Palast or at Zoo Palast. 
Try to gatecrash one of the many parties.
Hang around the posh hotel lobbies around Potsdamer Platz.

Where does it all happen?
The heart of the Berlinale is the area between Potsdamer Platz and the Berlinale Palast. But there are many other venues around town. I've already mentioned the  Friedrichstadt Palast and the Zoo Palast, but there's also the Kino International, the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and many more. There is also a special section of the Berlinale called Berlinale Goes Kiez; the idea is to bring the Berlinale to art-house cinemas in various Berlin neighbourhoods (or Kiez, as they are called in Berlin).    

What should I wear?
Unless you are planning to be on the red carpet, I recommend warm clothes and comfortable shoes! Berlin in February is usually cold and the pavements and streets could be covered in ice and snow. Be prepared to stand in long queues. You might even have to queue for long periods in the cold.

How do I get the best seats?
Get to the venue as early as possible and be prepared to wait.
One way to avoid queuing up in the cold is to watch two films in a row in the same location (for example at Friedrichstadt Palast). You will have to queue up for the first film but you will beat the crowds for the second screening.

Can Brexit still be stopped?

The Supreme Court has ruled that the UK government cannot trigger article 50 to leave the EU without an act of Parliament (i.e. a vote on a bill).
So what does that mean? Could Brexit still be stopped?
Well unfortunately it seems very unlikely:
a) the Tories have a working majority in the House of Commons (and they will all or nearly all vote to trigger article 50)
b) there is virtually no opposition.

MPs generally accept the result of the referendum.

The story we are told is: - The people of the UK have spoken and the majority wants to leave the EU. The terms of the exit from the EU will be negotiated by the government. Parliament will then vote and most probably will vote to trigger article 50.

So will this parliamentary vote be irrelevant? 

Well it could lead to some changes in the terms of the deal, with more opposition in the House of Lords, where the Tories don't have a working majority, but ultimately it appears unlikely to block Brexit.

Should Brexit now be considered a fait accompli? 

Well this is where I am struggling. Why shouldn't the "opposition" be opposed to something they don't believe is good for their country?
After all the majority (51.9%) voted to leave in the referendum, but what about the 48.1% who wanted to remain? What about the votes of London? What about the votes of Scotland and of Northern Ireland?
Not to mention the voices of all those people who were not even allowed to vote: anyone below 18 (the generation that will be mostly affected by Brexit) and those who have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.
Let's not forget that this referendum should never have happened in the first place.
The leave campaign was shocking and many voters were misled to vote leave on the basis of falsehoods (or "alternative facts", as they are now being called in the US). One of these lies was the claim that the EU was costing the UK £350 million a week and that this money could be used to fund the NHS. Of course, many still believe that it is a good idea to leave the EU, but many others strongly oppose this view.

In her Brexit speech of January 17th, Theresa May said: "after all the division and discord, the country is coming together. The referendum was divisive at times. And those divisions have taken time to heal."
I don't believe that the country is coming together. From what I hear and read in the media and social media, the population of the UK is still very divided.
I see many other contradictions and debatable items in Theresa May's speech.
She said that people "voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world". Really?
"June the 23rd was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain". I have very strong doubts about that. Surely you can be part of the European Union and be global at the same time. In fact, how can you leave the European Union and still be global?
She also said "You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be welcome in yours." That's not the same message that transpires from "controlling immigration from the EU".
Leaving aside all the economic and judicial benefits (including workers' rights) of being in the EU (and consequently in the single market and in the customs union), I believe that the freedom of movement of people is a huge achievement. I consider myself extremely lucky, because I am part of the Erasmus generation. I know the importance of freedom of movement and I and many of my European friends have benefited greatly from this. I was able to live, study and work in four EU countries, one of which is (or was) the UK.
So I am very disappointed to see that the Labour party is simply giving up.
As awful as having Trump as President may be (and I know that four years is plenty of time to disrupt a country, destroy human rights and relations with the rest of the world), in four years' time there will be another election and hopefully by then there will be more suitable candidates.
But if the UK leaves the EU, the single market, the customs union... it will be permanent.
So maybe the vote of the UK Parliament will be irrelevant, but at least the politicians that oppose Brexit could make their voices heard and, more importantly, should make the voices of the people they represent heard.